Improvement in felted carpet fabrics



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS CROSSLEY, OF BRIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FELTED CARPET FABRICS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 95,776, dated October 12, 1869.

'To LEZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GRossLEY, of Bridgeport, inthe county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carpets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in producing, as a new article of manufacture, a fabric for carpets, rugs, blankets, 8vo., composed of afabric of j ute, linen, cotton, or other equivalent non-feltable fabric, upon one or both sides of which a layer of wool or other feltable fiber, or combination of felting and unfelting material, is placed, and firmly secured thereon by felting or fulling, the surface being finished by printing or embossing. Y

The object of my invention is to furnish to the public at a reduced price a fabric, for carpets and for other purposes, which shall favorlably compete as to durability and elegance of appearance with woven Brussels or tapestry goods.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction.

A woven fabric, of j ute or other similar cheap material, is covered upon one or both sides with wool or other animal or vegetable iiber-such as camels hair, calf s hair, goats hair, &c.- and the whole firmly united together by felting or fulling. In the process of finishing a corrugated appearance is given to the fabric, in imitation of woven goods. The fabric may be left plain or uncolored, or it may be dyed or printed, or dyed and printed in any design.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the fabric of j ute 5 B B, the covering of wool, &c., felted thereto.

By thus using a cheap woven material as a base or `back I am enabled to furnish a compound fabric greatly superior to simply felted goods, while it at the same time can be sold at a less price.

It is well known that felted goods during the process of felting shrink about one-third of the original size. Mine, by reason of the woven base, cannot shrink in length or width, and thus the same quantity of wool or other material is made to cover a one-third larger surface. The fabric can be made of any desired thickness without much varying its cost, as it is only necessary to lessen or increase the thickness of the woven base.

I propose generally to fasten a layer of wool upon each side of the base, so that it shall be firmly held between such layers, the fibers of the wool, &c., not only taking hold of the fabric, but also of the fibers ofthe material used on the opposite side; but, in order to furnish a still cheaper article, one side of the fabric only needs to be provided with wool, Ste.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

A fabric composed of a foundation of coarse jute, cotton, linen, or equivalent fabric, to one or both sides of which is applied a'layer of wool or other felting material, and the two united by felting, and the surface flnishedby printing or embossing, one or both, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS cEoss'LEY.

WVitnesses;

' B. EDW. J. EILs,

C. F. OLAUsEN. 

